New Boat

 Last year Larry and I set a goal to "up grade" on our boat. We have had the boat we had for 8 years and have loved it! But we have 2 more kids then we did then and it was feeling a little small... So we were hoping to have the money together to buy this winter (best time to buy price wise). We made our goal and Larry had been shopping. We found the perfect one for our family and went to pick it up last weekend. We made arrangements to have our house treated while we were out by the exterminator (aka my amazing cousin Braden). So we had to be gone for at least 4 hours. So we made a day of it we started by picking the boat up then we thought we would go to OMSI. (My in laws get us a family member ship for Christmas each year. Which we LOVE!) We spent a few hours there and had fun. It was nice to have Larry with me this time. He was able to take the older 3 to do some of the big kid things that would be boring to the little girls and I took the little girls to the playground part for a while. We also had not been to the Temple visitor center so we went to check it out.

 They loved getting to see the temple. It was closed for cleaning so it was really quiet there. (Well until my kids got there anyway). Ruth was really excited about the angel on top. She was saying she wanted to climb the temple to be up there with the temple. I asked her "do you think Jesus wants you to climb the temple?" She replied, "Jesus, climb temple, pleeeeeease?" In her sweetest voice. It was cute! Even the next day in church a sister said something about the temple in her talk and Ruth perked right up and said, "Angel me climb up!"

 On our way home we stopped in Salem to test drive the boat in the river. It was cold!!! But the kids had a great time just going up and down the river a few times! Ruth actually hated it at first because I didn't get in when they first took off because I had to go park the truck and trailer they came back for me. Once I was in the boat she calmed down. It was a very busy and fun day! Now we are just looking forward to some summer weather! Till then Larry has a few projects he wants to do to get it all ready for the ski season!

Young Women's New Beginings

 I am blessed to get to work with the young women in our ward. I am the second counselor and get to work with the Bee hives (girls 12-13 years old) They have blessed my life for a little more then 3 years and this has been my most favorite new beginnings program so far. It truly was inspired by the spirit and it came together beautifully!
We did one table for each value decorated in it's color. White is Faith (above) Blue is Divine Nature. Since this years theme for the youth is Stand in Holy Places we did the whole thing in shoes.

 Red is for Individual Worth

 Green For Knowledge

 Orange Choice and Accountability

 Yellow Good Works

 Purple is Integrity

 Gold Virtue

 I had seen on a blog (I found on pintrest) where someone used this idea for some other theme a few years ago and thought it was perfect for our theme so we used it! It was fun finding all these shoes. With in the presidency we actually had most of them. I only had to track down a few.

 In January's New Era there was a new Mormon add (Posters that help the youth remember what they stand for or like an object lesson in one picture) This new add was for the theme and the boy was standing some where and the temple was his shadow. Sister Jackson and I saw it and both got so excited about it and thought it would be amazing if we could do that with all our girls. It all developed into this amazing night! We asked a wonderful couple in our ward who are photo shop wizards, we took the pictures and they fixed them up with the words and the temple shadows. It was truly a miracle that they did such an amazing job and we got ALL the girls done on time! They really did turn out beautifully and the girl got to take them all home to hang on their walls. My pictures of their pictures may not be as great but in person they were amazing. Our idea was for them to each choose a place where ever they wanted, and they were going to think about how the Young Women Values help them stand in holy places where ever they are. Then during the program they each took a turn and said how the values help them do that. They all did an amazing job. They amaze me all the time but this night they knocked it out of the park.

We have some very amazing girls. I am sure I said that already, but I was so touched as they all shared how they stand in holy places. Because they truly do strive to make everywhere they are a holy place and it fills my heart with love and pride for these girls! The program and the pictures were all great. For our dessert we had foods of every color of the values and a chocolate fountain to dip them in! MMMMM!

Hair fun

I love hair blogs and follow a few... At one time I aspired to have one of my own... but the pressure of keeping it up was to much so I just didn't. But I wanted to share the style Hayden asked for and I pulled off. She is all about hearts since Valantine's Day is coming up... She asked for 2 hearts and this is what I came up with. I did one on Amelia's I didn't take pictures though...

Amelia turns 9!

 Amelia's birthday fell on a Sunday this year so we decided to party all weekend.... We had a party for her friends on Friday at Frozation. It was so awesome. They let you reserve the room for FREE!!! That is right FREE! They let you use their space for free, you can bring in what ever you want, they have a TV, and xbox (if you want either) they will let you decorate the room if you want! They even give you smaller cups so you don't end up with kids getting to much ice cream. It was awesome. I made cup cakes and brought those. They girls made bracelets, and when we were waiting for moms at the end they played apples to apples Jr. They had a blast and so did I because I didn't have to clean my house to prepare or the aftermath! It was AMAZING! I will do that again for sure!!!

 The girls had a great time! Amelia's friends know her really well and she got some really nice things that are just exactly what she loves!

 The ONLY thing she asked for for her birthday was a journal that had a lock on it. (This way she could keep Ruth out of it and she couldn't scribble in it.) I found one that was wood that comes with paints and all kinds of things to decorate it. She was in heaven! It's like 2 gifts in one a craft (which she loves) and a journal. She was pretty excited.
We also got her a horse for her American Girl dolls. It isn't the actual AG brand we bought it at Costco during Christmas because we knew she would love it and we just hid it till now. It was a hug hit! And what girl doesn't love a surprise! So It was a fun day!

 She asked for "banana split" ice cream cake. So I made strawberry cake, chocolate cake, and layered it with banana split ice cream, strawberry ice cream, hot fudge, strawberry topping, and broken up pieces of strawberry/ chocolate Oreos. After it was all frozen back together I frosted it with that cool whip chocolate frosting. Which is SOOOOOO good. Then of course since it is a banana split cake had to put some whipped topping, cherries and sprinkles. Yes not the prettiest cake but ooooooo so good!

 Since Amelia's birthday fell on fast Sunday and Superbowl Sunday I tried to help it still feel like her day. I made a balloon avalanche for her in the morning (surely that is better then breakfast right?) I made her special dinner on Friday after her party and her special breakfast on Saturday before Larry and I left to the temple. Then cake  and our presents on her actual birthday!

Happy birthday to my big girl! Last year being single digits. This girl is amazing!!! She is a great big sister who tries to be a peace maker. She is self motivated. When she gets home from school she goes right to doing her homework, does it with little to no help, and the same with her morning jobs. I hardly ever have to get her back on task! I sure love this girl and she has been a hug blessing in our life! She was a great baby and toddler too!!! I am such a lucky mom!!!